The Trebuchet

The trebuchet counterweight basket is loaded wtih up to four 200 gm masses. A ball is placed in the sling, and the the sling is secured with a ring at the end of a string to the tip of the beam.Then the tip of the beam is pulled down and secured to the base of the frame with a string looped over a peg. When the peg is pulled out, the counterweight swings down throwing the sling up in the air. The ring at the end of the sling slips off the tip of the beam, and the ball is launched. You can change the masses of either the couneterweight or the projectile and observe proportionate changes in the range. This trebuchet operates at about 50% efficiency.